Most viewed - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

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Most viewed - Nagano city 長野市

Gate to Zenkoji422 views

Nagano Winter Olympics women's ice hockey match.271 views

JR Nagano Station festooned with Olympic logos.248 views

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Postcard set (400 yen)213 views

Nagano Winter Olympics women's ice hockey match.211 views

Japan's goalie takes a break at Nagano Winter Olympics women's ice hockey match.211 viewsHer helmet is dotted with Print Club photo stickers.

Aqua Wing ice hockey rink196 viewsMost of the women's ice hockey matches were held at a stadium called Aqua Wing which is actually an indoor swimming pool with a sliding roof. It seemed like we were in a huge oil drum cut in half.

Yaesu underground mall: Speed skater outfits made by Mizuno177 viewsMizuno, an official sponsor, set up a nice Olympics exhibition in the Yaesu underground mall at Tokyo Station. There was a nice photo exhibit of past and current Winter Games and a souvenir shop as well. These three photos show part of Mizuno's exhibition.

A few speed skater outfits made by Mizuno. You may recognize the suits for China, Japan, and the USA.

Mall to Zenkoji169 views

Entrance to Snowlets House at Olympic Plaza.163 viewsThe official store for Olympic souvenirs. There were a lot of ticket scalpers (all foreigners) hanging around the entrance. Inside, there was a ticket counter for events which still had seats.

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Nagano Shinkansen159 viewsThe Nagano shinkansen has a duckbill snout.

Bell tower155 views

Welcome sign at Nagano Station153 views

Nagano Station, East Exit to Olympic Plaza152 viewsAt the East Exit of Nagano Station, this bridge, lined with advertising banners, led the way to the Olympic Plaza which featured ten tent pavilions made by official sponsors.

Aqua Wing144 views

The crowd behind me.144 views

141 viewsDuring the Olympics, the morning trains from Tokyo were always crowded. However, the last trains from Nagano to Tokyo were almost empty.

Kodak's Kodak-yellow pavilion140 viewsOn the day I went in, they introduced Jamaica's bobsled team. They are very popular in Japan, largely due to the comedy movie "Cool Running" which was aired in Japan before the Nagano Games started.

My Japanese and American flags140 viewsI tacked the flags onto the glass and proudly displayed them in front of my seat behind the goal. That's what you do when you love both countries. Since I was sitting at rinkside behind the goal, the flags (and my face and camera) could be seen on the TV broadcast.

On the left of the photo, you can see the goal referee who was sitting in a glass box. She wrapped herself in a blanket. As you can expect, the place was not warm like a coffee shop.

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Kita Nagano Station139 viewsTo get to Aqua Wing, the ice hockey rink, we had to take a local train from Nagano Station for a short ride to the next stop at Kita Nagano Station. This Kita Nagano Station was a tiny little train station certainly not meant for large crowds. It was unbelievably small. It took some minutes before we could get out of the station which was not much larger than a normal living room. The door was also small, enough for only two people to get out at one time.

Jamaica's bobsled team in Kodak Pavilion138 viewsThey introduced Jamaica's bobsled team. They are very popular in Japan, largely due to the comedy movie "Cool Running" which was aired in Japan before the Nagano Games started.

Cheering section for Yuiko Satomi138 viewsCollege cheering section for Yuiko Satomi, a defense player for Japan.

A US player scores and celebrates to the dismay of Japan.137 views

Olympics auction hosted by Emi Watanabe (left), a former Olympic figure skater.137 views

The Nippon team huddles.136 viewsThe Nippon team huddle and psych themselves up before the start of the game.

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Start of game134 views

Tokyo Station: Official posters134 viewsThese were painted by Koji Kinutani and plastered everywhere in Tokyo Station. These were being sold to the public for about Y5,000.

Seat backs and ad stickers134 viewsThe train's seat backs had advertising stickers. When the Nagano Shinkansen reaches a terminal station (Tokyo and Nagano), the seats can turn around by itself? One thing less to do by the train's cleaning ladies.

A four-man bobsled.133 views

Olympic Plaza132 viewsSnowlets House and Kodak's pavilion behind it.

Snowlets House132 viewsIt was packed. This is part of the checkout line. There were four checkout lines and each one was about 30 meters long. The line went pretty fast though. They had all kinds of souvenirs: T-shirts, sweatshirts, flags, postcards, pins, key chains, necklaces, stuffed Snowlets, mugs, and even jewelry. I went on the 6th day of the Games and it still had everything well in stock. But I later heard that the shelves were laid bare well before the Games ended.

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To Olympic Plaza128 views

Aqua Wing ice hockey rink128 views

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Total winners beat the total losers...128 viewsThe U.S. team went on undefeated to win the first Olympic gold medal in women's ice hockey. Japan lost all five of its matches (they scored a total of 2 goals) putting them in last place among the six women's hockey teams.

Banging the glass127 viewsI liked it when the puck slammed into the glass (BOOM!) in front of me. The protective glass, by the way, must have been at least an inch thick.

Game ends with USA scoring 10 goals and Japan zero.126 viewsThe final score was 10-0. Japan went on to lose all five of their matches and the US team went undefeated for the gold medal. The US and Canadian men's hockey teams were not the only ones who were put to shame at Nagano.

Japan's women's ice hockey team must feel pretty rotten about their pitiful playing on their home turf.

Olympics logo on official drinks126 viewsBesides Coke, Coca-Cola also makes Aquarius (sports drink) and Georgia canned coffee. The Olympics logo and "Nagano 1998" figure prominently on the limited-edition cans. On the Aquarius can, notice the image of a speed skater. On the back of the Georgia coffee can, see the image of the torch relay runner. Georgia coffee was prominently advertised during the nationwide Olympic torch relay to Nagano.

126 viewsAn elderly couple are among a crowd of people who watched the men's hockey finals on the TV set.

IBM billboard buses125 viewsThe decals covering the window portion of the decals have little holes in them and from the inside of the bus, the decals are transparent. IBM's Olympic pins and jacket were also based on these bus decal designs.

The road from Nagano Station to Zenkoji Temple.125 viewsLots of Olympics advertising.

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Japan team mates try to comfort the goal keeper right after the US scores.124 views

Snowlets House, ticket availability123 views

Pavilion by Kirin Brewery.122 viewsNotice the "wrap" bus passing in front.

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More billboard buses122 viewsCoca-cola adorned some of the local city buses in Nagano.

Amway at Tokyo Station122 viewsAmway shows the way to the Nagano Shinkansen platform for people getting off the Narita Express train which comes from Narita Airport.

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Key chain (1,000 yen)120 views

119 viewsFace to face. Japan's goal keeper was busy, busy, busy.

Pin seller119 viewsThis American woman was selling pins in Nagano at her seventh Olympics. Olympic pins proved to be very popular among the Japanese.

Apparently there are pin sellers who travel to all the Olympics and major sports events making a living as a pin vendor.

Ad sticker on tray table119 views

Tokyo Station Olympics souvenir shop118 viewsThis little space (operated by official sponsor Mizuno) in the Yaesu underground mall at Tokyo Station used to have shelves full of Olympic souvenirs. On the day before the Olympics, I saw that they were selling towels, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, mugs, postcards, Snowlets, key chains, and other things. I visited this place again on the last day of the Olympics (when I took this photo) and found a sign saying that they had sold out of Olympics souvenirs. According to the clerk, most were sold out about a week before.They only had a single rack selling expensive framed Olympic prints. The story was the same for the Snowlets House in Nagano and the Tokyo Branch at Mitsukoshi Dept. Store in Nihonbashi. I'm glad I bought my souvenirs early on.

Palm-size stuffed Snowlet (official mascot)118 views

Tokyo Station118 views

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Kids gathered at Nagano Station.117 views

IBM pins (my collection)117 viewsThe IBM pins were being sold for 1,000 yen each. Some people were selling them for up to 2,000 yen.

English programme (1,800 yen)117 views

A US player scores and celebrates to the dismay of Japan.116 views

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Policeman116 viewsPoliceman in special uniform designed just for the Nagano Games. The uniform supposed to make them look more friendly.

A US player scores and celebrates to the dismay of Japan.115 views

Local bus114 viewsThis was not a "wrap" bus, but it still had a Kirin ad (made of cloth) on the front.

Recycle bins by Coca-cola114 views

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Frenzy in front of Japan's goal.113 views

Souvenir shop113 views"Japanese dress Kimono and so on." Awkward or mistaken English is nothing new in Japan. They should've used a Japanese-flag motif instead.

Fruit gelato stand113 viewsFruit gelato storefront with national flags and "Welcome to Nagano" signs.

Even official Olympics miso paste112 viewsWould you believe the official miso? Hanamaruki Foods of Nagano was an official supplier for the Nagano Winter Games. Miso soup must have been a staple item for breakfast (and dinner) at the Olympic Village. I found this at my local supermarket.

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Resurfacing the ice during intermission110 views

"Official No. 1 Pin Club" Shop110 viewsShop selling Olympic pins. Prices ranged from 500 yen to 4,000 yen.

5-0 on scoreboard during 1st period.108 viewsIn the 1st period, the scoreboard shows 5-0 in favor of the US.

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Olympics logo on official film (not FujiFilm)106 viewsKodak was the official Olympics film in a country where 70 percent of the film market belongs to Fuji Film. It must have been sweet revenge for Kodak because Fuji Film was the official film at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Kodak has been the official film sponsor for all Olympic Games since then. It will also be the official film for the Sydney Games in the year 2000.